Q110. Which crop was introduced for cultivation in the Baba Budan Hills?
[SSC CGL (18 July, shift 3), 2023]
(A) Silk
(B) Tea
(C) Coffee
(D) Cardamom
Answer: (C) Coffee
Explanation: Coffee cultivation in India is historically associated with Baba Budan and the hills near Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka. The Western Ghats provide suitable shaded, humid environments for major coffee plantations.
Q109. Which are Green Revolution characteristics: higher yields, shift from commercial to subsistence farming, expansion of cropped area?
[SSC CGL (19 July, shift 1), 2023]
(A) All three
(B) Second and third only
(C) First and third only
(D) First and second only
Answer: (C) First and third only
Explanation: The Green Revolution increased productivity and was associated with expansion of effective cultivated or cropped area in many regions. It strengthened market-oriented cereal production rather than causing a general retreat into subsistence agriculture.
Q108. Which statements about niger seed are correct: MSP support, kharif season and indigenous/tribal food use?
[UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2023]
(A) One statement only
(B) Two statements only
(C) All three statements
(D) None of these statements
Answer: (C) All three statements
Explanation: Niger is a kharif oilseed with historical significance for food and livelihoods in several tribal areas. It is among crops covered by minimum support price announcements, linking traditional cultivation with government agricultural policy.
Q107. Compared with China, which assertions about India are correct: more arable area, higher irrigated proportion and greater yield per hectare?
[UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2023]
(A) One assertion only
(B) Two assertions only
(C) All three assertions
(D) None of the assertions
Answer: (A) One assertion only
Explanation: India has a larger arable-land area than China, but China has generally achieved higher crop yields and a higher irrigated proportion. The distinction shows why cultivated area alone does not determine farm productivity.
Q106. Which district is associated with GI-recognized Gobindobhog rice?
[WBCS Main (West Bengal Geography), 2023]
(A) Purba Medinipur
(B) Bankura
(C) Bardhaman
(D) Murshidabad
Answer: (C) Bardhaman
Explanation: Gobindobhog is an aromatic rice associated strongly with the Bardhaman region of West Bengal. Geographical indication recognition helps link a distinctive agricultural product to its traditional production region and reputation.
Q105. What does the Small Farmer Large Field approach describe?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2023]
(A) Relocating displaced families to jointly farm one large plot
(B) Neighbouring small farmers synchronizing selected farm operations
(C) Smallholders leasing all their farms to a company at a fixed payment
(D) A company giving identical loans for compulsory contract crops
Answer: (B) Neighbouring small farmers synchronizing selected farm operations
Explanation: Under this arrangement, many smallholders retain their individual plots but collectively coordinate selected activities, such as sowing, irrigation and machinery use. Coordinated operations make fragmented farmland easier to manage and can improve access to equipment and markets.
Q104. Which scheme promotes solar-power use for agricultural irrigation?
[WBCS Main (Indian Geography), 2023]
(A) PM-KUSUM
(B) PMFBY
(C) PKVY
(D) e-NAM
Answer: (A) PM-KUSUM
Explanation: PM-KUSUM is associated with the use of solar energy in agriculture, including irrigation pumps. Solar-powered irrigation is especially relevant in regions where electricity connections are unreliable or diesel pumping is costly, although water-use management remains important.
Q103. Which state is commonly described as the Apple State of India?
[WBCS Main (Indian Geography), 2023]
(A) Uttarakhand
(B) Jammu and Kashmir
(C) Sikkim
(D) Himachal Pradesh
Answer: (D) Himachal Pradesh
Explanation: Himachal Pradesh is well known for commercial apple orchards across its temperate hill districts. Apple farming benefits from cool conditions, chilling requirements and suitable elevation. Himalayan horticulture provides an alternative to lowland cereal cultivation.
Q102. Which state led Indian coffee production among Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh?
[WBCS Main (Indian Geography), 2023]
(A) Kerala
(B) Tamil Nadu
(C) Karnataka
(D) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: (C) Karnataka
Explanation: Karnataka is the principal coffee-producing state, especially in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan. The shaded slopes of the Western Ghats, humid climate and suitable elevation encourage coffee cultivation, while Kerala and Tamil Nadu are also important producers.
Q101. Which state has the greatest sugarcane production among Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu?
[WBCS Main (Indian Geography), 2023]
(A) Bihar
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Tamil Nadu
Answer: (B) Uttar Pradesh
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh has a large sugarcane-growing belt extending through its western and central districts. Fertile alluvial plains, access to irrigation and an established sugar-mill network explain its scale, although some peninsular states may achieve higher productivity per hectare.
